Cricut DECEMBER MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Holiday Gift Wrapping Challenge

For the Cricut Circle blog the challenge is:  How do you use your Cricut to add details or personalization to your gift-wrapping for those special people in your life? Show us! We can’t wait to see your ideas!  AND include at least 2 Cricut Image Cuts.

I love presents wrapped in boxes with pretty ribbons bows.  I took an old tin and covered it with white paper.  Added some glitter and then cut out Christmas ornament shapes from the "Christmas Cheer" cartridge.  I topped my box off with a bow made with my new Cricut mini and the 2 cuts in two different sizes of the shadow of the round 3D ornament.  Added some roses for a nice detail.  Additionally, I put a pin on the back so the bow can be worn on clothing.  I hope you enjoy my Holiday Gift wrap!  Have a Merry Christmas holiday.

Cricut NOVEMBER EXCLUSIVE SOPHIE CARTRIDGE CONTEST!

This month for the Cricut magazine challenge, the guidelines are:
Use your Sophie cartridge for at least 3 cuts to create your project.
I love th Sophie cartridge.  Hope you enjoy my creation.

Using the Sophie cartridge, I cut out 3 of the birdcage and made the birdcage 3D. 

Additionally, I cut out the birds in two sizes and a butterfly.

I cut the flower stems hanging down from Accent Essential cartridge and the flowers are from Mother's Day Bouquet (I just LOVE flowers.)

I hope you enjoy.





Greetings

I love this time of year.  All the beautiful decorations and goodies to eat.
Thankful to the Lord to bless us with the birth of Jesus.
Hope you enjoy my Christmas themed Christmas projects.

Cricut OCTOBER MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Halloween Home Decor Challenge!

The guidelines for this project are:  Create a Halloween Home Decor project! Your project must include at least 2 different Cricut Image Cuts!
A Halloween wreath would perfect for welcoming my guest at the front door, so this was inspiration for my creation.

This would have been a perfect "repurpose" project.  I wrapped the wreath in a knitted scarf that when washed, ended up a tight mess, but the perfect texture of wrapping around the wreath alternating with orange ribbon.

The cartridges I used:

Celebrate with Flourish for:  Happy Halloween, Treat or Treat, and witch on broom with moon behind her,

Pumpkin Carvings for: cat, bats, spider, ghosts, tomb with RIP, and round spider web.

October 31st:  Spiders, bats, long spider webs, pumpkin, skelton, and witch's hat.

Hope you enjoy it as much fun as I did making the spooky wreath for my front door.

Cricut BLOGIVERSARY: Imagine Layer and Print Challenge!

The criteria for this challenge is as follows:
Use your Imagine Machine to print a background . . and use it on your project as well as cutting an image of your choice in layers- that’s right, choose the layers option on your image and print out one or all of the layers offered, piece them together on your project!
All of the images in the card created are from the Imagine cartridge "Snow Angel."

CricutBLOGIVERSARY: Circle Cartridge Challenge

In celebration of Cricut's one year anniversary of their blog, there are many challenges to win some great prizes. The rules for this challenge are:
Create a project of your choice with one or more of the Cricut Circle Exclusive cartridges! (French Manor, Shall We Dance, Cricut Everyday, Pop-Up Neighborhood, or Sophie) Your project must include atleast 2 different Cricut Image Cuts. And YES! You can mix in other cartridges with your Circle Exclusive cartridges.
This is a great challenge.  I love the new Sophie cartridge.

The card was cut from the "Sophie" cartridge.

The flowers are from the cartridge "Mother's Day Bouquet."

The saying, "you make my heart sing" is from the Imagine "Better Together."

I really enjoyed making this card and I hope you enjoy.



Cricut BLOGIVERSARY: Recipe Challenge!

In celebration of Cricut's one year anniversary of their blog, there are many challenges to win some great prizes.  The rules for this challenge "Use your Cricut machines to create a project using the following “recipe.” It must contain 1) A Title; 2) Atleast 2 Cricut Cuts, and 3) Atleast 3 buttons."
Fall is my favorite time of the year.  Apples are dropping from the tress, so I used this as my inspiration for this project.  Hope you are enjoying this time of year.

There are three apple buttons on the top of the brown/green layout square and there are three buttons on the apple pie dish.

The tress were from the cartridge "My World."

The barrel of apples is "Pop-Up Neighborhood.

The apples are from "A Child's Year."

The word apple & harvest are from the cartridge "Freshly Picked."

The word pie and the apple pie image are from the cartridge "From My Kitchen."







Cricut Circle BLOGIVERSARY CHALLENGE: Sketch Challenge!

It’s been ONE YEAR since Cricut Circle Blog was launched! It has been great and congratulations for the Circle. BLOGIVERSARY! In celebration of this anniversary, there are many challenges to win some goodies. The first involves using a sketch, at least two different Cricut cuts.  The sketch is as follows:

Hope you enjoy my card.

I created the flower using the "Floral Embellished" cartridge  with inspiration from an image from "Just a Note" cartridge.  I have the Anniversary edition of the Cricut Expression that has this cartridge preloaded, but couln't get it to work at the time.

The Yellow circle behind the flower face is from "Elegant Edges.:

The bird is from "Sophie."

The feel better is from the "Everyday Pop-Up Cards."

The blue background behind the bird is cut from "Fancy Frames."

Cricut SEPTEMBER MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Window Dressing Challenge!

This month the criteria for the challenge is:
For this next challenge, we want to see you give your next project a “window” element of some kind. Almost like you are dressing your own window into your project and include atleast 2 Cricut Image Cuts.

My precious granddaughters, Glory & Libby, love to play in the "pretty room" aka the formal living room. It has a large bay window and they love to look out the window. I took the picture of then in front of the window in their pretty dresses on Valentine's day.

The chairs are cut from the Sentimentals cartridge.  
The table, vase, and some of the flowers are cut from the Serenade Cartridge.
The altered window (center window panes cut out) is from the Christmas cartridge.
The valance at the top of the window is from the Martha Stewart Seasonal Cake Art cartridge.
The curtains are from the Martha Stewart Elegant Cake Art Cartridge.

Love My Flowers

I wanted to share my love of flowers.  Currently, my favorite in my garden is my Hibiscus plant.  It has bloomed all summer long and the flowers are bigger than my head, lol!

The first picture is on a day that five flowers bloomed at the same time.  The second picture is the flower in comparison to my hand (I am 5' 8" tall).

August Magazine Challenge - AUGUST COSMO CRICKET CONTEST!

The inspiration for this contest is Cosmo Cricket products.

My darling granddaughters were having their last bubble bath in "Grandee's" big tub before leaving to live in Germany (their dad is in the military).  The jets create so many bubbles and Glory and Libby had the best time in the tub.  When I saw the Cosmo Cricket paper Salt Air it was perfect with the colored bubbles.  I love, love this paper.

I hope you enjoy the scrapbook page as much as they did the bubbles!

Cosmo Cricket has been with us from the beginning, so we are super excited about this contest. They always produce such fabulous product that fits perfectly with the Cricut and Cuttlebug machines. This month’s contest will be a fun way to put all of your favorite things together.
The criteria for this contest is as follows
Contest Rules: Use any Cosmo Cricket product, at least three Cricut cuts, and any Cuttlebug folder.

I used Cosmo Cricket Papers: girl Friday, Everafter: something borrowed, and Salt air.
The curtains were free cut from girl Friday.
The tub and trim I used the paper Salt air.
For the wall paper border is from Everafter: something borrowed.





The Cuttlebug folders I used were Once Upon a Princess and Vintage Collage.

The paper used to make the floor tiles were the embossed roses in Once Upon a Princess and the beige deco are used for the curtain rod ends were cut/embossed from Vintage Collage

The Cricut Cuts used are:

The bathtub - Paper Dolls for Everyday Cartridge

The bathtub water and trim - Paper Dolls for Everyday Cartridge

The curtain rod/valance - Paper Lace Cartridge

The window - embossed with Once Upon Princess and cut from Christmas Cartridge

Tiles - embossed with Once Upon a Princess and cut from Paper Lace Cartridge

.





Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #38: Vacation Memories Challenge!

The criteria for this biweekly is:  This challenge is all about tackling those vacation photos.....  Find some photos from a past vacation that you haven’t scrapbooked yet and get busy! We can’t wait to see what you create
I took this challenge to put an album of the vacations my husband and I have taken for our anniversaries.
We will be celebrating our 34th anniversary this October.
The cuts I used are Happy Anniversary from the "Sweetheart" cartridge and the word Years from the Heritage cartridge.
Hope you enjoy.

Cricut JUNE MONTHLY CHALLENGE: On the Road Again Challenge!

The rules for this challenge are:  For a lot of us summertime means ROAD TRIP! For this challenge, we want you to create something . . . ANYTHING for your car! It can be a travel game, travel activity, organizer, whatever! Let your imagination run wild and include at least 2 Cricut Image Cuts.

I am so excited about the Provo CHA in Ohio in July.  It will be here before I can blink.  So to get started, I decided that I need to start packing - so that is my inspiration for this challenge.

I decided that I will stick this on my car window - a little publicity never hurts!

Most all of the cuts are from the Cartridge :"Cricut Everyday."  The suitcase is from the cartridge "Going Places."
Hope you enjoy.  I am SOoooooooooo excited about heading to Ohio!

MAY MAGAZINE CHALLENGES - MAKE IT YOUR WAY CONTEST!

The rules for this project are:  "Use this month’s magazine as a stepping off point for you to create something your way. Use one of our Designers projects to help you create something similar and yet has your own style. You might see a flower, paper, design element or maybe just the concept to help you design something of your own. CONTEST RULES: Use at least 3 Cricut Cuts and an idea from the magazine in your project."
I chose for inspiration "garden layout on page 23 of the May 2011 issue."  This time of the year I love to see plants blooming and yummy veggies growing.

I made this card for a special person.
The vase is embossed using Cuttlebug "Once Upon a Princess"
The Cricut cuts I used:
Vase - Serenade Cartridge
Flowers - Mother's Day bouquet - mostly flowers 31 and 32
Tag - Sentimentals

Another inspiration - from my yard - lillies and my raised flower/veggie/garden.

MAY MAGAZINE CHALLENGES - IMAGINISCE SPONSOR CONTEST

CONTEST RULES: Use at least 4 Cricut Cuts from any cartridge in your design and at least 3 Imaginisce products like their paper, I-top, I-Rock, Stickers, ribbon or any other product they produce in your design.
I love the Scooter's Vacation paper- it is perfect for vacation theme.  What parent hasn't heard, "Are we there yet?"  Notice the scooter under the bridge with a dog sitting on it.  The dog in the camper window is also from the same paper.  The stripe down the side of the car and camper are from the paper - Scooter's Vacation paper.

Recipe for Imaginisce:
Large Die Carriage - left silver for the hubcaps
Hot Rocls Jewels
Scooter's Vacation paper

Recipe for Cricuts:
Car & Camper - Paper Dolls for Everyday
Bike - Going Places
Woman & Children - My Community
Man - Sesame Street - Elmo's Party
Sun - Wild Card

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #33: Sweet Summertime Challenge

This week's criteria is: What makes summertime “sweet” to you? Ice cream treats, etc. Include the shape of your favorite summertime sweet treat and raid your stamp stash and incorporate them somewhere on your project as well.

Sweet Memories of my childhood were when we stopped at the ice cream shop on the way home from the beach to get a delicious treat. That's is what my theme is based on.  I left a space to put a picture of my granddaughters.  I keep my freezer full of popsicles for them.

  Recipe:
Umbrella - Paper Dolls for Everyday
Table - Franch Manor
Chair - Kate's ABCs (removed rabbit and replaced with little girl)
Ice Cream Shop - Pop-Up Neighborhood
Ice Cream - Simply Charmed
Girl - A Child's Year
I used a Butterfly stamp in the upper left.

Weekly Challenge #32: Sketch Challenge!

The Cricut weekly challenge is to make a layout using a sketch created by Jana Eubank. 

I used Ornamental Iron for the design behind the pictures, the circles on the lower right, and Gypsy Wanderings for the Happy 85th Birthday.

MAY MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Tic Tac Toe Challenge

The Cricut Circle Monthly challenge is to look at the tic tac toe board below and choose three squares in a row. Use the challenge prompts from all three squares to create your project! This month, in honor of National Scrapbooking Day (May 7th) we will be giving away a Brand NEW Cricut Expression 2: 5th Anniversary Edition to FIVE WINNERS!!!! Yep! You heard me right! FIVE WINNERS!!!!!

I choose the row with cut flower, ribbon to make a ruffle, & buttons.
 To celebrate my mother-in-law's 85th Birthday, I made a banner using the above row.
Our family had a great time celebrating her birthday.  With all of her children, some of her grandchildren and 3 of her greatgrandchildren.
Here is a picture of the whole banner.

 This is a close up of one of the banners.  I put bows on each corner of each banner and a button in the middle of the bow.

This is a close up of the big bow at the corners with the ribbon ruffled hanging down from the bow.

This is a close up of the banner with "85th" on it.  I put crown gels on top of each number and the "th."

I used Kate's ABCs for the letters, Bloom cart for the flowers on the edge of the banners and the banner is from Mother's Day 2010 cart.

I hope you enjoy.

Cricut's Gracious giving for: National Scrapbooking Day GIVEAWAY

Thank goodness Google finally got their network problem fixed so I could post my picture to win all of the goodies Provo Craft (PC) is giving away for National Scrapbooking Day.  PC is one wonderful company!  Not only do they make superb products, but they also are great giving their wonderful products away to really make someone's day they will never forget, Hooray!.  Thanks PC!
Since I don't have a room dedicated to my crafts, I take my plastic totes and go around to all of my places I have my supplies and then sit on the bed and craft away.  When this picture was taken, I am using my Gypsy to create a new project.  My laptop is right next to me on my right and right next to that is my "Cricut" machines and supplies.
So here I am*********

3 x 3 calling cards for crop/scrap meets.

Thia first one looked like a frame, but the flower pulled out and the person's info was on the back.  BY THE WAY, I just grabed a couple of cards out of my bag and I have no intentions on infringing on anyone's creations.
You want to have plenty of them.  You use them to exchange with everyone you meet at the crop AND for prize drawings.  I hope this helps answers sone of your questions.  You will have so much fun and learn so much.  It was really neat to learn about different products and ways others "Do their thing."
Hope this helps.
For example, this card, the flower pulled out and had the person's info on the back.

This one has a bird with mutiple layers.

The last one is from the one and only Queen B.  She has her info on a business card you pull out of the pocket she made on ger calling card.

Cricut APRIL MONTHLY CHALLENGE: Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

As we all celebrate Earth Day, the Cricut Monthly challenged us to make a project.  The criteria is as follows per the website:
"In honor of Earth Day (April 22nd) we would like you to recycle, reuse or repurpose 3 items on your project and your project must be newly created for this challenge and include at least 2 Cricut Image Cuts."
I had bought some new sheets for our bed.  In the packaging was cardboard.  There was one piece that looked just like a binder and plenty of flat card board in between the sheets in the packaging.  I also found some green duck tape that a house guest had left behind.  The last picture in this group is the before picture of the "reused/recycled" items I used.
So I came up with the idea to make my oldest granddaughter, Glory, a book to put stickers, draw or whatever.  I always try to plan a project for her and we have fun spending time together creating.
I used the Dinosaur cartridge to cut out the letters, background for the letters and of course dinosaurs. Each page was covered with a different color of paper and used the green duck tape around the edges of the book.
AND the ribbons I tied the book together are from the Maryland Crop meet.  We all exchanged a length of ribbon.  One of the ribbons has a repeated saying, "Made With Love," which was so PERFECT!
So enjoy.

Baltimore Crop Pictures - March 11 - 12

Here are the few pictures I took at the Baltimore crop.  Does anyone have one of the group photos taken by my husband from about 20 phones/cameras.

 Tangee presenting the Thank You from the group

 Queen B opening up our note of gratitude

 Queen B having fun

 Our make and take project

Top Winner of the bring your Show-n-tell Project

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY,.

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #30: Mom & Me Challenge

When I saw this week's challenge, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to make a memory page for my husband and his mom, and a photo memory book, by Mother's Day, and her birthday. 
I used the Imagine cartridge Lori's Garden for the Love You embellishment, the frame is from Wild Card, the letters are from Wal Decor and More and A Child's Year.

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #28: Creepy Crawlies Challenge

The criteria for this week's challenge is:   Create a scrapbook page about the things that bug you. Use a bug somewhere on your project and your project must be newly created for this challenge and include at least 2 Cricut Image Cuts.
I love my garden with flowers and fresh veggies.  Spring is here and all of the plants are sprouting and some are already blooming.  My favorite thing is growing flowers and fresh veggies. But, I don't want any bugs eating them.  I love to see the butterflies and bees enjoy the flower blooms.  I left a space on the right of my layout to put a picture of this year's garden when it is in full bloom.
For the bird, I used the cartridge Serenade, the butterflies are from the cartridge Bloom and Gypsy Wanderings, the fence is from My World cartridge, the flowers are from the cartridge Bloom, and the bugs are from Home Decor.